This group has only five verbs, all of which have polite meanings. We have seen the first four so far.
Formal form Pain From
irassyaimasu irasshar-u ‘be, go come’
gozaimasu gozar-u ‘be’
kudasaimasu kudasar-u ‘give ( to me)’
nasaimasu nasar-u ‘do’
osshaimasu osshar-u ‘say’
The reasons why these are separated from Group 1 is because the /r/ marked in red above in the plain form drops in the formal form--before masu.
Here is a list of all the verbs we have had so far.
Group 1: U Verbs
1. kaimasu kau katte buy 2. aimasu au atte meet 3. tsukaimasu tsukau tsukatte use 4. tetsudaimasu tetsudau tetsudatte help 5. wakarimasu wakaru wakatte understand 6. norimasu noru notte get on 7. tsukurimasu tsukuru tsukutte make
8. mawarimasu mawaru mawatte go around, turn 9. kaerimasu kaeru kaette go back 10. hashirimasu hashiru hashitte run 11. irimasu iru itte need 12. ganbarimasu ganbaru ganbatte do your best 13. kakimasu kaku kaite write 14. okurimasu okuru okutte send 15. kikimasu kiku kiite listen 16. arukimasu aruku aruite walk 17. tsukimasu tsuku tsuite arrive 18. nomimasu nomu nonde drink 19. yomimasu yomu yonde read 20. yasumimasu yasumu yasunde rest 21. isogimasu isogu isoide hurry 22. hanashimasu hanasu hanashite talk
Group 2: Ru Verbs
23. tabemasu taberu tabete eat 24. mimasu miru mite look
25. imasu iru ite exist (animate) 26. dekimasu dekiru dekite can do
27. demasu deru dete leave, go out 28. orimasu oriru orite get off 29. dekakemasu dekakeru dekakete go out 30. norikaemasu norikaeru norikaete transfer 31. machiawasemasu machiawaseru machiawasete meet up 32. itadakemasu itadakeru itadakete can receive
Group 3: Irregular Verbs
33. shimasu suru shite do 34. kimasu kuru kite come 35. iIkimasu iku itte go 36. arimasu aru atte exist
Group 4: Special Polite Verbs
37. irasshaimasu irassharu irasshatte exist (animate, polite) 38. gozaimasu gozaru gozatte exist (inanimate, polite) 39. kudasaimasu kudasaru kudasatte give to me (polite) 40. nasaimasu nasaru nasatte do
41. osshaimasu ossharu osshatte say
Drills and Exercises
A. Cue: 相撲、見たくない？ Don’t you want to see Sumo?
Response: あ、見たい。 Oh, I want to.
Cue: すし、食べたくない？ Don’t you want to eat Sushi?
Response: あ、食べたい。 Oh, I want to.
B. Cue: すし、食べますか？ Will you eat Sushi?
Response:うん、食べる． Yeh, I will.
Cue: 勉強、しますか？ Will you study?
Response: うん、する。 Yeh, I will.
C. Say it in Japanese.
A friend has asked you what you want to do this weekend.
1. I’d like to go to Fukuoka and see the festival.
2. I’d like to study because there will be an exam next week.
3. I’d like to read the new book by Murakami.
4. I’d like to clean my apartment and do laundry.
5. I’d like to see my friends and go shopping.
Ask a friend the following questions.
6. Do you drink coffee?
7. Do you have homework this weekend?
8. Do you speak French?
9. Is Prof. Yamamoto in today?
10. Do you need chopsticks?
D. Act in Japanese.
1. Ask a friend if he is free a) next weekend, b) the end of the month, c) the end of the year.
2. Ask a friend if she feels like a) having coffee, b) having ramen, c) going to an onsen.
3. Reply a) yes, you want to, b) no you do not, c) no, not particularly.
4. As you part with a friend, tell her that you are going to call her later.
5. Ask a friend to send you that file you two talked about because you want to take a look.
会話 Dialogue 2
Tanaka, the project leader, sees Emily getting ready to leave the office.
Tanaka：帰かえるの？ Kaeru no?
So, are you going home?
Emily： いえ、相撲す も うを見みに行いくんです. Ie, Sumou o mi ni iku n desu.
No, Actually I’m going to see sumo.
Tanaka：すもう？ Sumou?
Sumo?
Emily：ええ、初めてなんです。 Ee, hajimete na n desu.
Yes, it’s my first time. (So, I’m excited.) Tanaka：楽たのしいだろうね。 Tanoshii darou ne.
Must be fun!
Emily： 写真しゃしん、いっぱい撮とってきます。Shashin ippai totte kimasu.
I’ll take many pictures there.
単語Vocabulary
kaeru かえる 帰る go home, return
no の it’s the case that… See 8-2-1
kaeru no かえるの？ 帰るの？ So you are going home?
mi ni iku みにいく 見に行く go to see See 8-2-2
hajimete はじめて 初めて first time
darou だろう probably (Plain form of deshou) See 8-2-3
shashin しゃしん 写真 photo
ippai いっぱい a lot
toru とる 撮る take
文法Grammar Notes 8-2-1 Plain Form + n desu
How to form it: This pattern is made to add /~n desu/ or /~no desu/ (more formal) to the plain form of an adjective, noun, or verb. Note that for a noun sentence, you need to insert na before n desu.
Adjective: Takai n desu. It’s expensive. (That’s why.) Verb: Kaeru n desu. I’m going home. (That’s why.) Noun: Ame na n desu. It’s raining. (That’s why.) To make an informal style sentence, change /~n desu/ to /no/.
Adjective: Takai no. It’s expensive. (That’s why.) Verb: Kaeru no. I’m going home. (That’s why.) Noun: Ame na no. It’s raining. (That’s why.)
The ~ n desu can be added to the Negative forms and Past forms as well. (These forms of verbs will be introduced later.)
Non-past Negative Past Affirmative Past Negative
Takaku nai n desu Takakatta n desu Takaku nakatta n desu Ame ja nai n desu Ame datta n desu Ame ja nakatta n desu
The meaning: The /n/ in the /~n desu/ pattern refers to the situation, circumstance, or case, namely how thing are. So, this pattern is often translated as ‘It’s that...’, ‘ It’s the case that…’ or ‘The thing is ….’ It provides an explanation or background information regarding the situation or to present a new interpretation or explanation of that situation.
In the dialogue above, the project leader sees Emily getting ready to leave. She wants to confirm that Emily is in fact going home by saying Kaeru no? She asks to validate her interpretation of what she sees. In response, Emily corrects the leader’s interpretation by using the /~ n desu/. Emily further explains that it’s her first time to see Sumo. Without the ~n desu pattern, this conversation would lack mutual empathy, and might sound mechanical or distant.
How to use it: For a learner of Japanese, the biggest challenge posed by this pattern is probably to figure out when to use it and when NOT to use it. You cannot decide this on the basis of when the English equivalent of this pattern is used or is not used in spoken English. In English you probably do not always say, “It’s that…” when you give an explanation, as seen below.
A: Let’s go out tonight.
B: Sorry. I have homework.
In contrast, the ~n desu pattern is VERY common and almost required in similar situations when speaking in Japanese.
A: Konban dekakemasen ka.
B: Sumimasen. Shukudai ga aru n desu.
It is not a viable strategy, though tempting, to use the ~n desu pattern all the time, or conversely to completely dismiss it. Misuse can cause social awkwardness and in some cases more serious consequences. Why?
Remember this pattern indicates that the speaker is aware of something in the situation and her statements reflect this awareness. Thus, not using this pattern where it is expected may indicate that the speaker is indifferent or insensitive, or failed to “read the air”. Paying attention to others and anticipating their needs is highly valued in Japan, probably more so than in some other cultures. Failing to do so may have more negative significance when speaking Japanese. Consider the following examples.
a) At a restaurant, you see something unusual on your plate. You are not sure if it’s a decoration or whether you can eat it. Kore, taberu n desu ka? ‘So, do you eat this?’ (Is that why it’s here?) is an appropriate question. On the other hand, the same sentence without ~n desu--Kore tabemasu ka-- lacks any indication of your being confused. Thus it may give your fellow diner an impression that you are offering the item to her.
b) A co-worker returned from taking a test. You want to know how it went.
Muzukashikatta desu ka? ‘Was it hard?’ is a simple question and appropriate. On the other hand the sentence with /~n desu/ --Muzukashikatta n desu ka? –would indicate that you see something wrong. It may be interpreted as if the co-worker looks distraught or unhappy.
c) You want to turn down the food you are offered. Compare the following.
Amari suki ja nai desu. -- Informing about your food preference Amari suki ja nai n desu. -- Explaining why you do not want the food
While both sentences presents the same information, the first one does not necessarily connect the statement with your not accepting the food. The second sentence does.
A similar difference can be observed between the following.
Ame desu. ‘It’s raining.’ --Informing about the weather Ame na n desu. ‘It's raining, so…’ --Explaining why
How is the ~n desu pattern different from the ~ kara pattern? The ~kara pattern specifically provides THE reason for something, while the ~n desu pattern draws attention to a factor in the situation, thus is softer and more vague. The speaker can stay appropriately ambiguous, and asks the listener to get it.
In the examples c) above, the ~kara pattern might be an option.
Amari suki ja nai desu kara. ‘Because I don’t like it very much.’
Ame desu kara. ‘Because it’s raining.’
However, these sentences explicitly give the reasons. The ~n desu pattern, on the other hand, is more subtle and appealing for empathy. In responding to these indirect
explanations, it is common to show your understanding by saying, Aa sou na n desu ka.
‘Oh, that explains it’ rather than Aa sou desu ka ‘Is that so?’
8-2-2 [Purpose X ] ni iku ‘go to do X’
In Lesson 6, we learned that the /X ni iku/ means ‘go to X’ and X stands for the goal of the movement presented by verbs such as iku, kuru, and kaeru. Therefore X is usually a location. When X is NOT a location, this pattern usually means ‘go to do X’
and X stands for the reason for going. The purpose X is presented by two kinds of items:
action nouns and verb stems.
1. Action nouns such as benkyou ‘study’, renshuu ‘practice’ kaimono ‘shopping’
Tokyo ni kaimono ni ikimasu I’ll go to Tokyo for shopping.
Toshokan ni benkyou ni ikimashita. I went to the library to study.
2. Verb stems = the ~masu form without ~masu
Koohii o kai ni ikimasu. I’ll go to buy coffee.
Tomodachi ni ai ni kaerimasu. I’ll go back to see my friends MBA o tori ni kimashita. I came to get an MBA.
Nani o shi ni iku n desu ka. What are you going there to do?
8-2-3 Plain Form + deshou / darou
Darou is the plain form of deshou ‘probably’. However, some female speakers tend to avoid using darou in the sentence final position, and use deshou instead even in a casual conversation.
Both deshou and darou follow the plain form of adjectives, nouns, and verbs.
Formal Plain
Takai deshou. Takai darou. It’s probably expensive.
Ame deshou. Ame darou. It will probably rain.
Kuru deshou. Kuru darou. She will probably come.
Like deshou, when darou is used alone, it means ‘Isn’t it?’ or ‘Didn’t I tell you so?’
Drills and Exercises
A. Cue: 行きますよ。I’m going. Response: え、行くの？ What? Are you going?
Cue: 雨ですよ。 It’s raining. Response: え、雨なの？ What? Is it raining?
* Repeat this drill, replacing no with n desu.
B. Cue: 行きますか？ Does he go?
Response: 行くだろうねえ。 He will probably go.
Cue: 楽しいですか？ Is it fun?
Response: 楽しいだろうねえ。It is probably fun.
C. Say it in Japanese.
A friend has asked you why you are leaving now.
1. I’m going to the library, so…
2. I have an appointment, so…
3. I’m busy, so...
4. I’d like to do some shopping, so...
5. It’s Monday, so...
A friend has asked why you are going to Kyoto.
6. I’m going there to see the old temples and shrines.
7. I’m going there to eat Kyoto cuisines.
8. I’m going there to take pictures of the festival.
9. I’m going there to study at Kyoto University.
10. I’m going there to see my old friends.
D. Act in Japanese
1. Stop a stranger and ask him to take your picture.
2. You are talking with a friend about your upcoming trip to Hokkaido. Mention that it will probably be cold, b) it will probably be beautiful, c) you will probably fly, d) Prof. Yamamoto will probably go, too.
3. You saw a co-worker looking at smartphones at an online shopping website. Ask if he is going to buy a new one.
4. At a dinner, you see the fish left untouched on your friend’s plate. Ask if he hates fish.
5. A friend said that she left the movie after seeing only the first 15 minutes. Ask if that was because it was boring?
会話 Dialogue 3 Yamada：野球やきゅうと相撲す も うとどっちの方ほうがいい？
Yakyuu to sumou to docchi no hou ga ii?
Which is better, baseball or sumo?
Emily：野球やきゅうより、相撲す も うの方ほうがいい。伝統的でんとうてきなスポーツだし。
Yakyuu yori sumou no hou ga ii. Dentouteki na supootsu da shi.
I like sumo better than baseball because it is a traditional sport and…
Yamada：そうだね。せっかく日本にいるしね.
Sou da ne. Sekkaku nihon ni iru shi ne.
I agree. And you are here in Japan after all, so…
単語Vocabulary
yakyuu やきゅう 野球 baseball
docchi no hou どっちのほう which alternative
X yori 〜より than ~; rather than ~
yakyuu yori やきゅうより 野球より rather than baseball
dentou でんとう 伝統 tradition
＋bunka ぶんか 文化 culture
dentouteki (na) でんとうてき（な）伝統的 traditional
supootsu スポーツ sports
~shi 〜し and (among other reasons)
See 8-3-2
naruhodo なるほど I see; now I understand;
it makes sense
sekkaku せっかく with much effort;
take the trouble to do
Supootsu スポーツSports
yakyuu やきゅう 野球 baseball
suiei すいえい 水泳 swimming
sakkaa サッカー soccer
gorufu ゴルフ golf
tenisu テニス tennis
futtobouru フットボール (American) football
Budou 武道
ぶ ど う
Traditional Martial Arts
kendou けんどう 剣道 Kendo
juudou じゅうどう 柔道 Judo
kyuudou きゅうどう 弓道 Japanese archery karate からて 空手 Karate
aikidou あいきどう 合気道 Aikido naginata なぎなた 薙刀 spear fencing
文法Grammar Notes 8-3-1 Comparing Two or More Items
Earlier we learned the following patterns to compare two items:
Dochira ga ii desu ka. Which is better?
--X ga ii desu. X is better.
In this lesson we add the particle ~yori, ‘than’ and ~hou ‘this alternative of the two’. By using these, the sentences above can be restated as follows:
X to Y to dochira no hou ga ii desu ka. Which is better, X or Y?
--Y yori X no hou ga ii desu. X is better than Y.
When comparing more than three items you can specify the items compared by saying ‘X no naka de ‘ among X (the group)’ or listing up each member of the group like X to Y to Z no naka de ‘among X, Y, and Z’
Kono naka de dore ga ichiban ii desu ka. Among these, which is the best.
X to Y to Z no naka de dore ga ichiban ii desu ka.
Which is the best among X, Y, and Z?
--X ga ichiban ii desu. X is the best.
8-3-2 Sentence + shi
Shi added to the end of a sentence means “and” and indicates that it’s one factor or one reason among others that leads to the conclusion under discussion.
Ame da shi. Because it’s raining, and… (so, I’m not going)
You can link more than two sentences using shi. The last sentence in the sequence can be either another reason or the conclusion. When asked about a restaurant for example, you may link three characteristics or two characteristics and a conclusion as follows.
Oishii shi, yasui shi, kirei desu yo.
The food is good, and it’s cheap and it’s clean.
Oishii shi, yasui shi, daisuki desu yo.
The food is good, and it’s cheap, so I like it a lot.
Since shi implies there are other reasons, it is often used to make a sentence sound
inconclusive, thus polite in some cases, even when it is actually the only reason. You may notice younger speakers use shi-ending sentences a lot for this reason.
Drills and Exercises
A. Cue: 野球と相撲とどっちの方がいい？
Which do you like better, baseball or Sumo?
Response: 野球より、相撲のほうがいい。 I like Sumo better than baseball.
Cue: うどんとラーメンとどっちの方がいい？
Which do you like better, Udon or Ramen?
Response: うどんより、ラーメンの方がいい。I like Ramen better than Udon.
B. Cue: 伝統的ですね。 It’s traditional, isn’t it?
Response: ええ、伝統的だし、おもしろいし、大好きです。
Yes, it’s traditional, it’s interesting, and I like it a lot.
Cue: かっこいいですね。 It’s cool, isn’t it?
Response: ええ、かっこいいし、おもしろいし、大好きです。
Yes, it’s cool, it’s interesting, and I like it a lot.
C. Say it in Japanese.
You’ve been asked what you’d like to do.
1. Since I’m in Japan (after much effort), I’d like to speak Japanese.
2. Since I’m in Kyoto I’d like to take pictures of old temples and shrines.
3. Since I’m going to France, I’d like to drink French wine.
4. Since I’m going to Korea, I’d like to experience Korean tradition and culture.
5. Since I’m in Japan, I’d like to make a lot of Japanese friends.
Ask a friend the following.
6. Which would you like, chopsticks or a fork?
7. Which would you like to eat, ramen or sushi?
8. Which is faster, a taxi or a train?
9. Which class is most difficult this term among economics, history, and Japanese?
10. Which is your favorite among Japanese, Western, and Chinese cooking?
D. Act in Japanese
1. Discuss what your favorite sports are and why.
2. Discuss different country’s traditional food and sports.
3. Discuss where you want to visit and why. Give more than one reason.
4. You’ve been invited to a dinner party this weekend. Turn the invitation down politely, mentioning that it is very kind.
5. Compare and discuss a) two or b) more than three items, including food and drink, languages, classes, movies, travel destinations, transportation, etc.
会話 Dialogue 4
Yamada: 何なにか食たべに行いかない？ Nani ka tabe ni ikanai?
Wanna go eat something?
Emily：うん、いいわよ。 Un ii way yo.
Sure.
Yamada：何なにが食たべたい？ Nani ga tabetai?
What would you like to eat?
Emily: う〜ん、ファミレスでいい。というか、ファミレスがいい。
Nnnn, famiresu de ii….. To iu ka, famiresu ga ii.
Um, a family restaurant is fine. I mean I’d prefer a family restaurant.